“I would recommend this trip because it’s just… getting you out of your normal element—trying new things,” said Raija Hobson.

High school social studies teacher Tracy Mense and a handful of high school students, spent most of their 2018 summer backpacking across the continent of Europe. They traveled through Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria. The goal of this trip was to expand the students’ knowledge of the world around them, which, according to Mense, is best taught through travel.

“[The trip is] for—to get kids to be able to get outside St. Louis, experience life how other people live it around the world, and gaining better understanding of outside their ‘bubble’,” Mense explains.

After having traveled across Europe, students Raija Hobson, Lainey Jester, and their chaperone Tracy Mense, shared some tips and tricks for any students hoping to take a similar trip. You can check out their tips below.

Mense is also planning a trip to the Dominican Republic for the summer of 2020; stop by room 502 for more information.